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Uganda, East Africa I always look forward to writing my Christmas newsletter, as it is a good time of reflection. As we look ahead and prepare our pa
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I always look forward to writing my Christmas newsletter, as it is a good time of reflection. As we look ahead and prepare our partially built new church at Christian Bible Study Centre for Christmas Eve candlelight service and a Christmas day celebration, also considering what the New Year holds for this ministry, it’s also a time of looking back. What has God done in 2011? |
Until April I was in the USA doing a 6-month furlough. I got to see lots of snow in Winthrop, Washington, and spend holidays with family for the first time since 1998. Something new was added to my furlough this year when I visited Tennessee for the first time ever. Ann Travis, a missionary friend whom I met in Uganda now lives in Tennessee. Since she had never been out West and I had never been to Tennessee, we had decided long ago if we had opportunity, we would visit each other’s parts of the States. So she flew to join me for a week in Washington State in November, and in early spring, I went to Tennessee for a week. Surprisingly, God opened many new contacts for me in Tennessee, old friends from Washington State I’d not seen in more than 10 years, new friends on furlough from serving God in Papua New Guinea, and a speaking engagement in a small church established by a Rwandan Anglican bishop! |
As is often the case, returning to Uganda was like jumping into a flowing river – sink or swim! There were problems at my home, which eventually led to the termination of two workers, one of whom had been with me for many years. This has led to me assuming the household work, such as hand washing laundry and ironing my clothing with a charcoal iron, and at times having to cook on charcoal fires, all of which have been new and enjoyable experiences.
God generously provided the means for acquisition of solar power in my village home, giving me electricity for the first time in my nearly 12 years in Africa! |
In July a truck weighing station was opened in Nakazzi, the same village where New Life Centre Church is located, about a mile from my village. This opened the opportunity for a long held vision for our ministry to begin development of income generation projects by starting a small restaurant. Pastor David Kasule and wife Kate rented a small room and were off to a whirlwind start, and simultaneously, we began studying small business development with Ruth Kyeyune, a good friend in ministry with us. We call the restaurant Bread of Life. Our plan is to develop Bread of Life to the point we can build a larger facility on our church land and move Bread of Life there in the coming year, preliminary to establishing other income generation projects as well. We want to teach Bible centered business to the community as well. |
Through generous donations we began a new church structure in May. Having been through the experiences of building temporary structures that did not stand the rigors of tropical weather and termites, we decided that we must build a more expensive, lasting church. So if you were to visit us now, you’d not see a whole lot, because much of the work is underground! A deep, solid foundation has been built, 2 roofless office rooms and a skeletal porch are on the front, and support pillars (cement) have been erected to support future brick walls. We have bought more chairs, leveled the fill dirt in the new foundation, and strung a tarpaulin across temporary beams and have begun holding our worship services in the new “church” as of this past Sunday. We have outgrown our other place of meeting. |
A year ago we were blessed to get running water installed on the church land, and thanks to a neighbor needing to put an electricity line across the end of our land, we will soon have electricity in the pastor’s home. A piggery project has also been started which has now produced a total of nearly 20 piglets, the acquisition of a boar. We also have a small rabbit project started.
Included in our future ministry plans are the continuation of a small village-oriented “Bible College,” in Lukenko village, a home fellowship midweek group in Butuntumula village, and a Bible-based small business class in Nakazzi where Bread of Life is located. It is our hopes and plans to continue to reach out to he local area through a Biblical holistic outreach process, introducing the Gospel to people in and through their basic needs. When all is said and done, it’s only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that can truly change hearts and lives, and we want to introduce people to Him by every means possible. |
 Visit our sister ministry. Click on this link. | | |
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